Using Fresh Herbs

How do I get started using fresh herbs when I am cooking?

Great Question!

I think that most fresh herbs have a stronger flavor than the dried herbs you get at the store. There are some where there is simply no comparison (Fresh Basil, Cilantro, and Basil for example) in flavor. I mostly use those herbs that taste better fresh. These are also usually not only growing in large amounts in my garden, but also in smaller quantities in a planter box in my kitchen.



For Basil, I could give you recipe after recipe. Pesto is a recipe with fresh basil is amazing (just puree fresh basil with a dash of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, parmeasan cheese, and walnuts and use it as a sauce or thin it for use on noodles). We love pesto in the summertime! Sometimes I take fresh basil leaves, and I add them to regular salad for a little extra flavor. I just toss it in with the lettuce. Actually, I do this with all sorts of herbs and fresh, edible flowers (that's another post...edible flowers in salad).

I also use Basil fresh in most Italian dishes.

I start by picking some leaves, washing them, and taking the stems out. Then I stack the leaves up together, and thinly slice them in strips. At this point I either use it as a tasty garnish like this, or I finely mince them to add to a sauce.




When you are adding fresh herbs, you should add them near the end, by the way.

In the off season, I usually have plenty of basil finely minced in a food processor (diluted with a little bit of water) and frozen in ice cube trays. I then store the basil in my freezer in freezer bags for quick use. One cube is about enough for a pot of spaghetti sauce.

I use fresh Cilantro in a similar fashion. Cilantro is good in all things Mexican. It smells obnoxious, to be sure, but thankfully tastes delicious. It is a key ingredient in salsa and in guacamole. I usually mince/chop it up on a board with a chef's knife, after removing the stems as much as possible.

As with the Basil, I have cilantro ice cubes in storage in my freezer too. Martin usually craves guacamole even in December, after all!

Parsley is used just like Cilantro, only it can go in pretty much any kind of dish. The thing I use it most often for is in Tabouleh salad, which is one of my favorite things.

Chives I usually snip over baked potatoes or onto my salad with a small pair of kitchen shears.

I love fresh thyme on a grill with chicken laying on top of it, with just a touch of lemon juice. Fresh thyme is also good when you are making salad dressings (a Greek Vinaigrette). I pull off a branch, and just run my forefinger and thumb along the branch "zipping" off all of the leaves.


Fresh Rosemary I usually use in Italian, Greek, or Provencal-style cooking. I like it especially in a hearty loaf of county bread. This loaf here has fresh chopped rosemary, a pinch of fresh thyme, a whole head of roasted garlic (YUM), and some chives in it. Let's just say we didn't have leftovers. :-)



Now...about Parmesan cheese....